In 1996, the City of Davis  installed bicycle signal heads at the intersection of Russell Boulevard and Sycamore Lane as part of a demonstration project submitted to the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) to study the impact of the bicycle signals on bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic behavior at the intersection. The intersection, which abuts the University of California-Davis campus, sees peak hour volumes for bicycles around 1,100 bicycles per day (bpd) and 18,500 vehicles per day (vpd) for Russell Boulevard and 7,500 vpd for Sycamore Lane. Before signal installation, motor vehicle and bicycle traffic operated concurrently, resulting in discomfort and unsafe weaving maneuvers.

Before and after data gathered at the intersection showed a marked increase in bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Only two collisions occurred the sixteen month period after implementation (neither of which involved a cyclist or pedestrian), as compared to fourteen in the three years preceding the signal modification (over half of which involved a cyclist or pedestrian). Surveys distributed as part of the study showed a positive reception of the signal heads and a favorable impression of the intersection compared with other junctions in the area.

Pelz, D., Bustos, T., Flecker, J. (1996). The Use of Bicycle Signal Heads at Signalized Intersections. Davis California.